Tacoma FD is TruTV‘s newest original series, and fans have embraced the crazy comedy about an odd band of firefighters. One big reason for that is the presence of Hassie Harrison, who’s worth keeping an eye on.
Hassie shines in her role as Lucy McConky, the sole female member of the main group—and her job is even more complicated, because her boss is her father Chief Terry McConky (played by the show’s co-creator Kevin Heffernan)!
Just after Tacoma FD season 2 was officially announced, Hassie joined Hidden Remote to talk about being picked up for a second season, working with the show’s motley crew, and what’s so special to her about comedy.
Learn more about Hassie Harrison in our interview below, and if you missed any of Tacoma FD, you can catch up on episodes at TruTV’s website.
Hidden Remote: Your show was just renewed for a second season. How do you react to that, knowing that viewers embraced Tacoma FD enough to keep it going?
Hassie Harrison: I’m over the moon to say the least. I think I can see how special this cast is and the chemistry we all have together. I’ve never had so much fun working on a job. It means so much that that’s translated across the screen and that fans are loving it too.
It’s just a dream come true. Those guys are all so lovely and it’s such a no drama set, everybody’s there to laugh and have a good time. It’s just so refreshing.
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HR: Was there something about the show or about Lucy that first stood out to you and made you think this was special?
HH: I’ve always loved to make people laugh…I just loved this type of humor and I think it’s kind of one of those hidden secrets in Hollywood, that if you can have a career in making people laugh, it’s such a joyous thing to bring to the world and take home from work at the end of the day. I couldn’t be happier.
HR: This is one of the biggest roles of your career so far. How has the experience been for you in that respect?
HH: I’m excited it got picked up for 13 episodes instead of 10 [next season], and I think that’s such a sweet spot. While we were shooting, of course it was a bit of a grind, but it’s so fun. This is what I’ve been working so hard for. I have nothing but gratitude and excitement.
When I come home after a 14-hour day, I feel proud, like you’re on an epic high or something. You just know you worked hard and there’s going to be something to show for it.
For me, I’ve been working really hard to get to this place and I feel like Steve [Lemme] and Kevin were the first guys to pick up what I was putting down and saw my essence of who I really am. I’m so grateful for them. I guess I just have a lot of gratitude, because a lot of people don’t get this opportunity.
HR: Tacoma FD has some off-the-wall plots. Was there any particular episode from the first season where you got the script and the story surprised you?
HH: When I saw the full moon episode [“Full Moon Fever], where [Ike] was going to turn into a werewolf, I was dying laughing. I knew Gabe [Gabriel Hogan] could pull it off because he’s such a great actor, but I was like wow, this is crazy!
HR: As you got to know Lucy more, what are some of the things you loved about her?
HH: What originally appealed to me about the character is, I liked the idea they were going to tackle some of these gender roles and I liked the idea that she’s very good at her job and she hangs well with the guys. I think, to be honest, what I saw the most in it was that she rouses the guys and gives them a hard time.
I know for me personally, that’s my sense of humor. Growing up, my Dad always pranked me and that was the funniest thing in the world. I love pranks and rousing people, and when I went in for the audition, I went in a couple times and then I finally really picked up their vibe and just started playing games or just hitting them and harassing them. They could tell I was fun and had good vibes to be around.
I think Lucy is a really cool girl. She’s a hard worker, and she likes to play hard and work hard, and I think I’m very similar in that way.
HR: Anything you want to do more of or learn more about in Tacoma FD season 2?
HH: I love doing scenes with Kevin Heffernan. I think he’s so great and it adds that little bit of heart to the show, as much as they can have heart in the show. I’d love to see more stuff with him. More about our personal lives is going to come up, I’m sure. My dating life is going to come up, and I’d love to see some heroic moments with me as a firefighter. Also our dynamic within the firehouse, all our relationships, I think [we] can continue to explore that. The possibilities are endless.
HR: Is the tone on the set as light and funny as what we see on the screen?
HH: Yes. It is. The guys are all just trying to have a laugh and go home to their families. And they’re so sweet and protective over me, it feels like a safe environment to be somebody and explore stuff and go big and then pull it back. They’re so kind and encouraging. We get together and have barbecues when we’re not working, so we genuinely really love each other. And we have a text thread that I say always feels like a writer’s room, because it’s so quick and funny.
HR: Which TV shows are you a fan of? What makes you laugh?
HH: The last show that I’m obsessed with is Fleabag. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a genius and I hope I get to work with her one day. It’s such a good show.
I’m late to the game with Impractical Jokers but oh my God, it’s amazing. When we went to do the Upfronts, I got to hang out with all those guys. They’re the nicest guys in the world. Joe Gatto is my personal hero. He is even funnier in real life.
HR: Is there anything you want fans to know about Hassie Harrison?
HH: I think more than anything, how grateful I am to be in this place and to all the fans that have watched and supported the show. We had a very rare thing happen. Normally there’s a [ratings] dip after the premiere, and we actually had a spike in ratings, and I think that speaks about the word of mouth and the loyal fans.
I’m really grateful to all the people who tuned in, and how many real firefighters are so stoked about the show. That was something that we cared a lot about, was having real firefighters support and love the show. The feedback has been so great, because they said this has been more authentic to what our livesreally look like than some of these dramas.
Firefighters work multiple days on and off, so it’s almost like a fraternity house. And they spend all day and night together, so they’re fighting fires and doing really scary stuff, but there’s a lot of time where they’re just having fun with each other and goofing off.
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Tacoma FD season 2 is coming soon to TruTV. For more on Tacoma FD and other TruTV shows, follow the TruTV category at Hidden Remote.
